Riches to rags and back free presentation at Vallejo’s Touro University

By: Rachel Raskin-ZrihenVallejo Times HeraldNovember 1, 2016

Richard LeMieux went from the high life to homeless and back and wrote about it in
a book called “Breakfast at Sally’s: One Homeless Man’s Inspirational Journey.”

Now a homeless advocate, he’s the keynote speaker for a discussion on homelessness
at Vallejo’s Touro University from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.

Understanding Homelessness Presented by Touro University California College of Education
and Health Sciences will be held at the school’s Lander Auditorium, 1557 Azuar Drive,
Mare Island.

LeMieux will discuss his homeless experiences and his efforts to assist others who
are homeless during this free presentation, which open to the community. A reception
and book signing will follow the event.

“We will also have many local organizations present who work with the homeless in
the Bay Area,” organizers said.

Sally’s is what insiders call the Salvation Army’s soup kitchen, according to information
on LeMieux’s book.

“Richard LeMieux once had it all — a happy marriage, a beautiful home, cars, boats,
and vacation extravaganzas,” it says, but, practically over night, he lost it all,
and was destitute, estranged from his family and friends, and living out of a van
with his dog, Willow. At 60.

“And for a while, the Salvation Army (a.k.a. Sally’s) provided his only meals,” it
says.

After a suicide attempt, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with depression, which
was where the road back began.

“In Breakfast at Sally’s, LeMieux brings to life his experiences of being homeless,
and presents his odyssey with quirky, diverse, and endearing characters that encompass
the homeless people of Bremerton, Wash.,” the information says. “Composed on a secondhand
manual typewriter at various locations, LeMieux provides a rare and intimate look
at how the other America lives. He shows how one man, beaten down and alone, is able
to reconnect, find good people, and ultimately with their help, persevere.”

Sponsored by NorthBay Healthcare, Recology, and Shelley Berkley, Understanding Homelessness
is part of the ongoing social justice series presented by Touro’s Master’s of Public
Health program.

Anyone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area has seen them — the homeless — begging
for money or huddled in doorways to protect themselves from the elements, organizers
said.

“Homelessness is one of the most pervasive problems in this nation, yet this has not
been addressed during this presidential election season,” they said. “As Bay Area
housing becomes increasingly less affordable, more people are found living on the
streets without shelter. Incredibly, San Francisco ranks No. 5 in the nation in homelessness,
with 772 people per 100,000 without adequate shelter. The problem extends to all surrounding
Bay Area counties, including Solano.”

During the past six months, Touro’s faculty and staff, including the Graduate School
of Education, the Public Health Program, the Physician Assistant program, and the
School of Nursing, decided that the focus of their service and research would be issues
around poverty and homelessness.

“These dedicated educators are seeking solutions to address important social justice
issues, including homelessness,” they said. “They are doing so by reaching out other
agencies and individuals within Solano County who are concerned with homelessness,
which has become a national embarrassment for such a wealthy nation.”

The Understanding Homelessness presentation is this effort’s kick-off event, they
said.

LeMieux, an Ohio State University-educated successful businessman, who, through a
series of events, found himself living on the streets, will share his experiences
and insights at the Nov. 10 event.

For information, go to tu.edu, or contact Erendira Romero at erendira.romero@tu.edu.